Obama's Lipstick on a Pig: A Calculated Distraction
I'm not going to spend too much time on this, because ... well, frankly it's just not worth it.
So far, the liberals and Democrats have been excusing Barack Obama's now-famous lipstick remark as merely a statement about policy, not a personal attack. After all, they say, women have used the term plenty of times and it's not been construed as anything but a kitschy remark.
I do agree that the term is not sexist in nature and has been used frequently before. Nevertheless, I do believe Obama's use of the term in such close proximity to Palin's lipstick remark at the Republican National Convention was a calculated move. He hesitated as he said it, which indicates to me that he was doing it for emphasis. If you watch the video, the laughter rises, then he delivers the punchline.
I realize I'm going to take some heat for this, but I can't really see it any other way. Obama knew what he was doing. Everything's contextual. If I If I say "What a beautiful babe," in the presence of an angelic sleeping infant, that means one thing ... if I say the same thing to an attractive woman, that means something completely different.
Obama's defense, the liberals are saying, is that McCain did it, too, when he said the same thing about Hillary Clinton's health care policies. Forgetting for a moment that Obama has renounced this kind of "politics as usual" approach, I remember that episode well. Truth is, I was down on McCain about it. I assailed him for it. It was wrong. He shouldn't have used "pig" and "hillary" in the same conversation. Frankly, I agree with my colleague, Robert Longley, who says, "Personally, I've always chosen to avoid any hint of sexism by using 'like painting a racing stripe on a turd,' instead." While it paints quite a different picture, the point is the same.
I won't apologize for McCain. He should have apologized; or, at the very least, he should have clarified his remarks as not being directed at Clinton, which they weren't. It was poor judgment, nonetheless.
So does McCain's blunder somehow absolve Obama's?
Absolutely not. Nevertheless, Obama won't concede an inch of the moral high ground. Clearly, the right thing for him to do, whether it was an intended insult or not (and I, personally, believe it was), would be to clarify his remarks and apologize if any offense was taken by Palin (which there was). That, then, would be the end of it. If people continued to be outraged after that, then that would be their problem, not Obama's. If he doesn't apologize, it proves to me -- as it should to most people -- that Obama either can't own up to an honest slip of the tongue, or, simply put -- he meant it.
The fact is, that this is a huge distraction to both campaigns right now. It's an embarrassing comment coming at a critical time. Hopefully, Obama will do the right thing. If he doesn't, we can only hope the electorate will see him for what he is ...
Politics as usual.
And so much for lipstick.
***UPDATE***
This blog has been updated to correct what I believe to be an error. I am unable to find adequate online evidence to accurately make the claim that McCain apologized to Hillary Clinton for his lipstick remark in May. I believe he made it, and there are others who believe it as well, but without definitive evidence, I cannot in good conscience keep the reference. I therefore apologize. The error has been removed.
As I say above, McCain was wrong not to apologize -- but so is Obama. He has assailed Washington's "politics-as-usual" ethos, yet he continues to exhibit the same behavior. If Obama continues to claim that he is the better candidate, then he should prove it by being the bigger person.
I doubt it will happen.
Comments
She proposed a $30 billion pipeline that was the “will of God.” A month ago she doesn’t know what the vice-president does, and she praised the biggest pork barrel spender in Congress Ted Stevens. These facts were from http://dailysource.org/palin in case you wanted to know.
Defenders of Obama to the contrary … I believe that he’s too smart not to have known that using this phrase this close to Palin’s “hockey mom” ad lib was going to be controversial.
I’ll also go to my grave believing he knew what he was saying when he “confused” his father’s scholarship timeline in that 2007 speech in Selma, AL…. when he conveniently linked his pedigree to the Kennedys. [See http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/saywhat.asp
Obama is wicked smart and calculating. Folks like that don’t make “mistakes” like this.
Justin, did you honestly think that Obama was anything BUT a typical partisan politician? After “small-town folks clinging to guns or religion” and “they [conservatives] take pride in being ignorant” remarks, voting along party lines in the Senate 97% of the time, telling us he can’t disown Reverend Wright before disowning him two weeks later, and consistently twisting and mischaracterizing McCain’s statements, Barack Obama is no better than the other politicians, lipstick remark or not.
On your point, though, I find it interesting how often Obama says really awkward things when trying to discredit his female opponents. Like when he said of Hillary Clinton, “She’s got the kitchen sink flying, and the china flying, and the, you know, the buffet is coming at me.” Gee, I wonder if Obama will refer to “china” when attacking John McCain? Or how about this Hillary attack, “You challenge the status quo and suddenly the claws come out.” Hey, that could be a non-sexist remark…as Jim Geraghty from National Review suggested, he might be comparing her to Wolverine from X-Men. But seriously, he seems to have this lack of respect for females in positions of authority, which is surprising considering his education and “holier-than-thou” attitude during this campaign.
McCain is a liar. He was against Bush and then embraced him to get elected. He was against dirty campaigning and i snow practicing it. Sarah Palin is the BIGGES EXPLOITATION of women by a cyncial politician. We Americans ar dumb enough and desrve another 8 years of McCain/Bush-Cheney/Palin so we can polish the shoes of the Suadis and the Chinese. Guess who is luahing – China and the Middle East are. they would love to see MCacin and the inane Palin win and see America go further into doom.
Real Conservatism died with Bush. What’s left is extreme right wing rhetoric and LIES. Poor Reagan must be turning in his grave. WAKE UP !
Poor John McCain.
He and his people just don’t get it
You can take a donkey …
Dress it up in Top Hat and Tails …
Teach it the Texas-Two-Step …
But at the end of the day …
He’s still a Jack-Ass
McCain has become quite the politician since he got his party’s nomination… he has proven time and again that his strategy for winning is based on personal attacks and distracting people from the main issues
Justin…………………why all the discrepancies listed all over the internet about the Palin’s original stand on the “Bridge to No-where” Project, the statement that “God” wants an oil line Alaska, the statement that “God” wanted the Iraq war…………..Why can a jounalist just print the facts without tinting the truth. Until that day, who are we to believe…….certainly not you.
Well, guess what….This is all politics as usual from the Dems. The Republicans are not squeeky clean either. That said, it is surprising to me that the Dems, the party (they say) of women’s right and pro choice have reacted the way that they have to Sarah Palin’s joining the Republican ticket.
If Barack Obama is so ‘wicked smart’ what political gain could he POSSIBLY have thought could be made, what point could he have been trying to ’subliminally’ make by calling her a ‘pig’?? (Nevermind the fact that she ungraciously introduced herself to the world by cynically, sarcastically ridiculing a historic U.S. presidential candidate who said NOTHING about her.) It doesn’t take a smart guy (and he is VERY smart) to know that NOTHING can be gained by simply calling your opponent a childish name. Obama IS calculating, and if simply likening Palin to a pig would at all serve his ambitions, he might do it. But I’m afraid this was perversely wishful thinking for most of you spirited Obama-haters. People will always chuckle when someone uses that pig w/lipstick expression because it’s silly, absurd and it hits home.
The real point: based on how EVERYONE seems to be acting, we shall retain the cynical, incompetent style of government we’ve allowed to disgrace our great America because her citizens would rather wallow in fruitless distraction and/or fight each other. Even if you win, you still lose.
Nicely put. Distractions from the issues do not serve this country. Sarah Palin was chosen to be a distraction, not because of her experience and leadership.
Interesting that a man who jokes about women being raped by gorillas, Chelsea Clinton, Paris and Brit, and who has said if women want equal pay they should get better training and education (more women hold higher degrees than men already) should choose a woman as a running mate.
Says something about a man who, when the going gets rough, decides to run and hide behind a women – especially when he has repeatedly shown public and open disregard for women!
Obama called McCain out as the “pig”… so if anything, that makes Sarah Palin the lipstick, which I don’t think is the point he was trying to make.
I agree with WS, the comment had nothing to do with Palin. Can we get back to the REAL issues now?
“I’m not going to spend too much time on this, because … well, frankly it’s just not worth it.” Not even worth this article.
I just can’t see this as being calculated. It’s a common saying. Can we say “making a mountain out of a molehill”?
Kari
I love how Barry crys if anyone says “boo” to him and HIS family and opens a website defending himself (of course you can’t submit a question or make a comment at this site) , but Sarah has such class when responding to her attackers!! These gutter attacks by the Dems are being paid for by Barry Boy!! We already know he’s paid over 400 bloggers to hit the internet with his “crapola”!! I’m so glad Repubs and Indies have a reputation of INVESTIGATING their information!! Even though after investigating we don’t agree, there is a respect given. Barry Boy miscalculated the American people!! This is his downfall!!
What can I say?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9Gkhs0pMzI